


It's A Nickname

by stopsavannah



Category: the adventure zone
Genre: Gen, Queer Candlenights 2018, Warning for minor transphobia, trans duck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 11:20:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17161052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stopsavannah/pseuds/stopsavannah
Summary: *pounds fists on table* Duck Newton trans. Duck Newton trans!





	It's A Nickname

**Author's Note:**

> My gift for Grim-Anatomist on tumblr who asked for trans Duck Newton!  
> Happy Candlenights, y'all.

He’s six when he decides for the first time that his name doesn’t fit. 

Six is when he starts attending Kepler Elementary. Kindergarten rapidly expands his social circle. His Mama coaches him on how to walk up and introduce himself, but every time he tries to make friends on the playground his name tastes chalky in his mouth.

Before his first venture into public education, his interactions had been almost completely confined to people who already knew his family. His older cousins, for example, took their cues from his grandparents and aunts and uncles. When his Aunt Sara called him “Ducky,” all of her children followed suit.

His Grandma had been the first one to call him “Duck.” He’d had a stuffed duck that he always carried around, and when he was a chubby toddler learning to walk he had sort of waddled. So, over family dinner one Sunday evening, the nickname “Duckling” was born. His list of names grew: Ducky, Duck, and more.

But, after hearing him walk up to someone and tell them his name was “Duck,” his Mama had sat him down for a talk about how Duck was his nickname but that was for family. She had made him sit and practice introductions.

After his kindergarten teacher had sat him down for a talk to ask why he wasn’t playing with other kids during recess, he had gone back to introducing himself as “Duck Newton.”

He got sick of the laughs and funny looks, and he’d decided to try out a variety of more “normal” names. One day he’d stated his name, after a few moments pause, as “Zach.” The problem was that this rotation of names also led to a lot teasing, with frequent repeats of “No, that’s a boy’s name!”

Around third grade, he’d given up on trying out different names and went back to Duck. He added a defiant chin lift to his introductions, meeting people’s eyes with a slight glare.

“Duck Newton, it’s a nickname.”

As he aged, the _"it’s a nickname"_ became more exhausted than confrontational. He just wasn’t a teen who was ready to fight at any moment anymore.

When he officially came out, his family tried to convince him to change his name. “Are you sure you won’t choose something more practical? What about one of the names we had planned for you or Jane if y’all were boys?” but he always said no.

To his mother’s frustration, he would always reply with “I’m Duck Newton, it’s my nickname.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hey sorry your gift is a little short but this was the stopping place and any other scene I tried to add felt forced :/ On the plus side, I did manage to make this 420 words long without any conscious knowledge of my word count so hopefully that’s consolation?


End file.
